Paths of Progress: Trails, Tracks, Rivers, & Rails Program

The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center near Williston will host “Paths of Progress: Trails, Tracks, Rivers, & Rails” on Saturday, March 14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Participate in a single activity or attend throughout the day, creating a flexible and engaging way to explore frontier transportation history.

The free, family-friendly program will explore the rich history of the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence through the many ways people traveled across and through the landscape, from Indigenous trails and river travel to wagons, steamboats, and railroads. The event is open to all ages.

Hands-on activity stations will be available throughout the day, allowing visitors to drop in and participate at their own pace. Interactive components include building and packing a travois, a “Float Your Bull Boat” engineering challenge, an oxcart-building STEM activity, a horse care station, and additional transportation-themed challenges.

Thirty-minute presentations will be offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. to complement the all-day activities. These talks connect the hands-on experiences to historical examples, highlighting how transportation and movement shaped daily life, trade, and cultural connections at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence.

This event is part of the ND250 commemoration celebrating our country’s 250th birthday.

Fort Buford State Historic Site and the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center are managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and closed Sunday-Monday. Fort Buford is closed for the season. For more information, contact Outreach Coordinator Nicholas Kusnierek, [email protected] or 701.572.9034. All times listed are Central time. Find information about upcoming programs of the State Historical Society at history.nd.gov/events.